12/02/2012

"Every diva deserves an encore". Quartet, the directorial debut by Dustin Hoffman is all about finding second chances late in life, and fixing the mistakes of the past. A new poster for the musically-inclined comedy has been released, putting the veteran actress Maggie Smith front and center, right where she should be.
She plays Jean Horton, a prima donna who arrives at a retirement home for musicians and opera singers, turning the place upside down in the process. Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, and Billy Connolly play the members of her old quartet who desperately want to get her for one more big show, but old grievances stand to get in the way. The film is a real charmer, even if the humor is a bit more broad than you might expect from a group of British thesps like this. After a limited run this month, Quartet opens wide on January 11th, but you can check out my review here. [THR]